Drop clamp



Feb. 19 1924.

A. MAZZANOVICH DROP CLAMP Filed; June 2"? 1921 omgm mw N m m mm? M M N v m N Ay b Patented Feb, 19, 1924.

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ANTON MAZZANOVIGH, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

nnor CLAMP. 7

Application filed June 2?, 1921. Serial 30.480523.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTON MAZZANOVIOH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements .in Drop Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates generally to theatrical scenery handling appliances, and-more particularly to clamps for drops, flats and the like, the principal object of my invention being to provide a relatively simple device that may be advantageously employed for clamping, the battons or rails. at the upper ends of drops, and said device being also adapted to. engageand support pieces of scenery known as flats, andwhich latter include relatively, large frames that are covered with canvas or the like.

Further objects of my invention are to provide a combination clamp and hook that may be easily and quickly applied to or removed from pieces of theatrical scenery, to provide a device that will be effective in eliminating much of the time and labor ordinarily involved in handling theatrical scenery such as flats and drops, and, further, to provide a combined clamp and hook that will, when disengaged from a piece of scenery, serve as a weight for lowering the ropes or cables from which the pieces of scenery are suspended.

VVith-the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts that will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Fig. l is an elevational 'view of a drop.

Fi 5 is an elevational view of the de-' vice and showing the headof the screw that'is utilized for clamping the two parts of the device. upon the battons or rails of 1 adrop. "Fig, 6 is my improved clamp- Y of the an. elevational. view partly.

device that is' utilized in connection with Fig; 7 is a plan view ofthe. rope clamp. Flgl 8 is an elevational viewv of a' perforated platethat 'is gripped the. rope clamp andiwhich" is adapted to be engaged by a hook on the clamping" device when" a series 'ofsaiddevicesl are connectedfto each other.

. broken away of, a ropeor cable clamping Myinventionessentially consistsof a plurality. of clamps, each of'whichis' composed of substantially TL shaped-arms or plates" adjustably associated with each! other to effectlthe gripping of pieces, ofscenery,

meansflassociat'ed-with each o-ffthe clamps,

for connecting ropes to the latter and eff fecting vertical movement of the scenery,"

as will be understood by those skilled 1n the art. i

-Referringby numerals tothe accompanying drawings, which illustrate .a practical embodiment of my.invention, 1O designates .1

a block, with the top, of whichis formed:

integral an upwardly projecting ring 11,;

said block-is a horizontally disposed "slot 12. 'Formed through the lower portion ,of

block 10 immediately below said slot-12,, is}

a threadedaperture 13 and, depending from" one side of block 10 and arranged at (right angles to thetslot 12 and threaded aper-. I

and formed'through the upper portion 'o'f ture 13, is 'aplate '14 that is, provided on its inner face with a series of transversely disposed ribs or teeth15.

Formed in one edge of'plate14 adjacent to its lower end, is an inwardly and downwardly extending notch- 16 'andfthat portion of the plate below said notchconstitut ing a hook 17 that is adapted to engage or receive a ring or loop. a

Secured to the edge of plate 14 immedi-,

ately above the notch 16, is theupper end n of a flat spring 18, the sameextendingacross the mouthof said'opening and its free end bearing against the upper end of the hook 17, such construction providinga .keeper ,for retaining the engaged ring or loop-in the notch 16.

- Projectlng outwardly ;from onelend of block'lO is an upwardlypresented hook 19. Arranged toslide freely through slot 12 is a horizontally: disposed plate '2O and depending from the outer end thereof -is a clamping plate 1 21 that is positioned.; di-

rectly opposite plate-14, and,- formled--on the inner faceof plate 21 is a series of horiouter end of said shank or rod is a head or operating handle 24:. V j

The clamp constructed as just described is suspended from the end of a rope or cable such as 25 the end portion of which passes through ring 11, and said end portion' is secured to the body portion of said rope or cable immediately adjacent to said ring by a clamp that comprises a pair of plates'26 that are drawn toward each other to clamp the interposed portions of the rope or cable by a clamping screw or bolt 27 and; in order to accommodate said rope or ca'ble, the inner faces of the end portions of said clamping plates are provided with corresponding grooves or channels, 28 with in which may be formed one or more transversely disposed rope gripping ribs such as 29. 7

When theplates 26'are drawn together to clamp the interposed portions of a rope or cable, one edge of a plate such as 30 is clamped between. the edges of the plates 26 on one side andthe projecting portion of said plate 30 is provided with an aperture such as 31 of such size as to receive the end ofhook 17 that is formed on the lower end of platel l.

When my improved clamp is positioned on the battons or rails. at the top of a drop of the type illustrated in Fig. 1, plates 14: and 21'are spread apart a sufficient distance to accommodate the battons or rails, and when the latter have been positioned between said plates, screw rod or shaft 23 is rotated by proper manipulation of head or handle 24, thus moving the plates of the clamp toward each other so as to grip or engage the interposed battons, and by tightening the threaded rod or shaft 28 in the block 10, the ribs or teeth 15 and 22 on the inner faces of the clamping plates will embed themselves in the side faces'of the battons and consequently firmly anchoring the clamp upon said battons.

With the clamps thus positioned on the battons or strips at the top of the drop, the latter can be readily raised or lowered by proper manipulation of the ropes or cables that are connected to the clamping devices by the clamping plates 26.

When the clamps are disengaged from the battons at the top of the drops, the hooks 17 on the outer pair of clamping members are engaged in the apertures 31 of the plates 30 that are carried by the central one of the rope clamps; and thus the lower ends of the three drop supporting ropes or cables are conveniently connected to each other and the 7 combined weight of the three clamps will be sufficient to lower the ropes or cables, and

consequently eliminating thewnecessity for the usual sand bags that are utilized for "lowering the ropes or cables to the stage or platform.

VVhere the clamps are utilized for supporting a flat of the construction. illustrated in Fig. 2, the hooks 17 on the lower ends of the. plates 14; are engaged in loops orrings 32 that are suitably mounted on the rear faces of the framework of the flat.

Thehook 19 on the end of block 10 is utilized for the attachment of'a'cyclorama arm where a number of the drops are arranged end to end in the'formation of a relatively long set.

Clamps of my improved construction are effective in maintaining the battons perfectly said clamps perform the functions of coun- 7 terbalancing weights to draw the supporting ropes or cables downwardly to the stage or platform, where they may be readily'engaged and manipulated. I

It will be readily understood that minor changes in the size,form-and construction of the various parts of my improved clampsmay be made and substituted for those here in shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A device 2 of the character described comprising L shaped plates, one of which is slotted and notched to form a hook, one arm of the other plate being slidably fitted in the slot of the first plate, a screw threaded rod extending loosely through the second plate and threadedly engaging the first plate, a ring formed on the short arm of the first plate, and a spring spanning the mouth of the notch and bendable inwardly.

2. A device of the character described comprising a pair of plates adjustable one with relation to the other; with one of saidplates provided with a notch to form a hook, a spring controlling the mouth of said notch, and'means for suspending the plates.

3.1n combination, a member including plates adjustable one with relation to the other, a hook'on one of the plates and a ring on one of the plates, a rope clamp adapted to embraw the ends of a rope loop ex tended through said ring, and plates adapted to be gripped by said clamp and having openings therein for the reception of a hook.

4. A device of the character described comprising L-shaped plates, one of which is,

slotted and provided with a notch to form a hook, one arm of the other plate being slidably fitted in the .slot of the first plate, a screw threaded rod extending loosely through the second plate and threadedly engaging the first plate, a spring spanning the mouth of the notch and bendable inwardly and means for suspending the plates.

5. In combination, a member including plates adjustable one with relation to the other, a hook and a ring on one of the plates, a rope clamp adapted to embrace the ends of a rope loop extended through said ring, and plates adapted to be gripped by said clamp and having openings therein for the purpose described.

6. A device of the character described comprising L-shaped plates, one of which is slotted and provided with a notch to form a hook, one arm of the other plate being slidably fitted in the slot of the first plate,a screw threaded rod extending loosely through one plate and threadedly engaging the other plate, a spring spanning the mouth of the notch, and means for suspending the plates. v n

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ANTON MAZZANOVICH. 

